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Muscle dysmorphia in a young Chinese male
1Department of Psychological Medicine, National University Hospital, Singapore.
Introduction:
To describe a young Chinese male with muscle dysmorphia, a recently proposed variant of body dysmorphic disorder.
Clinical Picture:
A 24-year-old Chinese male with a morbid fear of weight and muscle loss with associated compulsive weight training, avoidance behaviour, forced eating, depressed mood and disturbed body image.
Treatment:
Antidepressants and cognitive-behavioural psychotherapy.
Outcome:
Preoccupation with muscularity was reduced.
Conclusions:
Muscle dysmorphia has been reported in Western populations, mostly among body builders and anabolic steroid abusers. To our knowledge, this is the first case report originating from a non-Western population. The patient illustrates the nosological difficulty of this recent entity. It is likely to be a culture-bound phenomena associated with a Western concept of an ideal body shape for males.